Excellence (Personal Work
Standards)

Definition

Setting high standards of performance
for self and/or others; assuming responsibility and accountability for
successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards
of excellence rather than having standards imposed; ensuring interactions
and transactions are ethical and convey integrity. Click here for associated
skills and behaviors.

Ways to Demonstrate this Skill

Development Activities

§Work collaboratively with others to set standards and procedures
that achieve a high level of quality, productivity, or service.

§Involve others (colleagues, customers, etc.) in setting
standards for the work done by your area of responsibility. Focus on setting
standards that are challenging but achievable.

§Together with your team, develop criteria for effective performance.
Include a list of necessary accomplishments. Track these accomplishments
and recognize people for achieving them; coach people who fail to do so.

§Dedicate time and energy to ensure that no important aspect
of the work is neglected.

§Complete tasks and assignments; when necessary, work to
overcome obstacles.

§List the work that your area of responsibility is expected
to perform.

·Focus your effort on what is important (that which impacts
CARE’s vision, mission, values, and objectives), not what is urgent.

§Approach
challenges from a problem-solving perspective and look for alternatives
rather than focusing on why things cannot be done.

§If you have been unable to solve a problem yourself, seek ideas
and suggestions from others.

§Monitor, evaluate and adjust your own work to ensure it
meets high standards.

§Analyze your work and set your own standards, using these
steps:

·Write down your most important responsibilities.

·Describe superior performance for each.

·Describe average performance for each.

·Set your own standards as high as you can between these
two levels.

§Determine where you spend more time: the important activities,
the most easily done, or those that appear to be most urgent. Re-focus
on the most important.

§Accept responsibility for the outcomes (positive or negative)
of your work.

§Admit to your mistakes and change what you’re doing when
it is appropriate.

§For your major responsibilities, list undesirable outcomes
that could result if you make mistakes or neglected an important part
of the work. Consider how you will accept responsibility for these
results.

§Seek feedback from others on your ability to balance process
with getting results. If you tend to focus too much on how things get
done, others may see you as not focused enough on achieving results (outcomes).

§Seek feedback from others on how they perceive your willingness
to admit to your own mistakes.

§Encourage and support others in accepting responsibility
for the outcomes of their own work.

§Publicly support people who admit to and correct their own mistakes.

§Work
collaboratively with others to set high standards of performance for their
work.

§To encourage others to accept responsibility for mistakes
or for the outcomes of their work, you must first model these behaviors
publicly and consistently yourself.

Developmental Resources

Workshops/E-Learning

If
you find workshops and/or web-based training a good way for you to learn
and develop, and there are funds available, look for opportunities that
address the following: